Vikings grew tired of Harvin complaining about Ponder

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 12, 2013, 12:26 PM EST

AP

Publicly, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder said repeatedly that he didn’t want the team to trade receiver Percy Harvin. Privately, Harvin’s complaints about Ponder were apparently a significant factor in the team’s decision that Harvin had to go.

Harvin certainly can’t say Ponder wasn’t getting him the ball: Harvin had 62 catches before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week Nine, so Ponder was putting the ball in Harvin’s hands repeatedly. But Ponder did struggle at times during his second pro season, and it’s not particularly surprising that Harvin was getting frustrated.

The question in Seattle is whether Harvin will keep complaining, or whether Russell Wilson will prove to be the kind of quarterback who can keep Harvin happy. If Harvin is a happy camper who keeps his nose clean, he’s one of the best playmakers in the NFL with the ball in his hands. What Harvin will want Wilson to do is get the ball in his hands regularly.

As a Packers fan, I’d like to make some snide comment about not blaming Harvin. But the fact is, even if Ponder is the second coming of Ryan Leaf you don’t do things to the detriment of your team. You don’t like your QB? I’m sure Rodgers doesn’t like his offensive line, yet he isn’t asking out of Green Bay.

I’m surprised that Vikings fans have so much venom for Harvin for pointing out that the QB situation isn’t good; what else do you think would motivate the Vikings to actually re-evaluate the position, or was I the only one watching Ponder and Webb play last year?

They are not very good. You can laud guys like Fitzgerald all you want too, but lets not forget Fitz had some great years with Warner tossing him the ball.

Harvin had one year with a good QB in Favre, since then what’s he had and where has the Vikings QB trend gone? down the toilet.

I’m sure getting a 2013 1st and 7th round picks along with a 2014 mid-round pick, for a very skilled player that spends half the season injured or with a headache, had something to do with that decision as well.

The thing is…Vikings won without him. What did he think he was the #1 on the team and they couldn’t win without him. Think again Harvin. Yes…Ponder will never be a Brett Fave but he got you the ball. Maybe he tried to go to you too much and that’s why he struggled at times. Spreading the ball around is the best thing for an offense.

Harvin was right on the $. Ponder couldn’t even get a short pass to Percy or threw over his head or to the end zone and out of bounds to players. Pathetic! This whole thing makes me sick. A.P. was right, my stomach feels punched too!

Harvin’s average target in 2012 was four yards downfield. His average catch was in the region of two yards downfield, with eight of his ten average YPC coming in the form of RAC. Something like 677 receiving yards, over 500 of them after the catch.

I agree with kevinwi, Larry Fitzgerald has every right to complain since the Cards haven’t been able to replace Kurt Warner with anything close to servicable. But I can’t help but wonder what his numbers would be like if he had anything close to a decent QB. He is waisting away in AZ now and by the time his contract is up he will surely be past his prime. I hate complaining but I wouldn’t blame him if he asked out of town, which dissing any of his teammates or the team.

Seattle is a talented but young team. Usually it doesn’t work out really well when you bring a selfish bleepity bleep to a team like that. We’ll see. One thing I know is with those high maintenane guys on offense you’d better have a hell of a leader at QB. That they do have.

Call him a whiner, maybe he is. Call him difficult, maybe he is. But Minnesota so under-utilized Harvin in his time there.

I don’t know about last year, but two seasons ago they pulled him off the field for 40% of the plays and that was just absurd. Even if you’re not going to use him, you never take a threat like that off the field because it keeps the defense honest.

I like Christian Ponder, but let’s be honest, he’s not in the top-15 of quarterbacks in the NFL. If you’ve got Adrian Peterson (as well as a good backup), a great offensive line, and Percy Harvin, then you should be scoring a lot more than Minnesota has been under Ponder.

Harvin’s behavior is reminding me a great deal of the negative comments made about a young Randy Moss. Valid or not, this will come back to bite him in the “kush-kush” when his next contract pops up and nobody wants to sign him !!

Ponder was bad throwing downfield. And they might be going after Mike Wallace who is just a straight line guy … they don’t think Wallace will flip out when he keep getting hammered because he has to wait on lobs from Ponder??

Viking fans face it Ponder is terrible. The box is loaded unlike anything in modern football and he still can’t hit guys that are open. I remember many of you calling for Joe Webb late in the season. If he was such a bad teammate why is MVP AD hurt that he is no longer with the team? Enjoy the first round pick – I am sure there will be something talented enough to replace him. Wilson – Harvin are going to be something special. Seattle fans are happy giving up the 25th pick.

I wonder how much public complaining he really did? Can’t find much except press blogs. He was a bad teammate? Can’t find much except a few comments in blogs. Heated confrontation with coach? Yes; frustrated and shouldn’t happen but demonstrates competitiveness.

If he is as bad as some of you want to make out you can bet he either changes or will be quickly moved by the Seattle front office. They have gotten rid of others that weren’t right for their locker room.

Odds are this will be a good trade but only time will tell. Right now, I’m excited.

I still haven’t heard any of his teammates say Harvin was a ‘Locker Room Cancer’…
Just misinformed fans…
Ponder isn’t a very good QB…
They REALLY reached for this guy…
I think the fact that Ponder has a weak arm, has accuracy issues, and lays his receivers out to take big hits, probably had something to do with Harvin’s opinion…
He won’t have to put up with any of that in Seattle…
Go Hawks!

How much longer do we have to listen to Percy Harvin news??? We know he’s been traded, can we now quit. Harvin was hurt last season, had migranes frequently and doesn’t stop moaning, so good luck to Seattle, and let’s get over it all. It’s boring after 24 hours listening to the same old story.

Ponder is no great quarterback, and Harvin is a tremendous talent —- one that is not easily replaced. I’m sure he will do great in Seattle, until things stop going well.

However, it did seem to me that once Harvin was out of the lineup, Ponder seemed more at ease and either because Harvin wasn’t there or because he was forced to, did a better job getting the ball distributed to more players.

I hate to seem him go, but Harvin wasn’t going to help the Vikings anymore.

Percy Harvin is going to have a break out year probably better then the one when Brett Farve was in town with Russell Wilson throwing the ball his way…Also if Harvin can stay away from those migraine headaches.

Comparing Harvin situation to Fitzgerald isnt quiet the same. Fitzgerald had Warner for 4 years and even in 2011 the Cardinal still threw for almost 4k passing yards. Sure last year the Cardinals sux’d however Minnesota going forward with Ponder might end after this year. Viking fans were screaming for a QB change after Week 8. Yet, they need another option at QB after the playoff game.

That being said I hate when this junk comes out publicly. There is always complaints when so and so leaves one team.

the instant harvins skills decline, and with the amount of hits his little body takes along with his headache issues (literally and figurativly) hes going to be gone and no team will take this big mouth ..clearly ppl like him and titus havnt learned from t.o and ocho cinco

To be fair to Harvin, it isn’t like he publicly bashed a teammate. There’s really nothing wrong with telling your bosses behind close doors that you don’t think someone is good enough. If a respected player did that, they’d be hailed as “putting the team first”, but Harvin’s being painted as a malcontent (which might be 100% accurate), so it’s taken as more proof of that.

It’s also pretty convenient that this comes out the day after he was traded. It’s ironic that Harvin is getting crap for stuff he said in private, while everyone ignores that someone with the team leaked his private thoughts in an effort to damage his reputation after he was traded.

Eli manning Aaron Rodgers and Peyton all played like crap the first couple yrs. While I’m not saying Ponder is these guys but atleast give him a chance. He and Adrian did lead the Vikes to the playoffs last year without Percy in case everyone forgot. I like Percy alot, but he’s Seattles headache now. Seattle got fleeced in that trade. He will be happy maybe one yr.

I’m as big of Vikings fan as there is, and granted I don’t have to live with his whining, Harvin is spot on.

Ponder is too scared to play QB and has a weak enough arm to prove my point. My team will never go anywhere with him behind center and as big of a clown as he may be, Harvin brought way more to the table than Ponder.

Sad to see the guy leave, even if he is a teenage girl trapped in a mans body.

There are deeper rooted issues than his issues with Ponder. The Vikings wouldn’t trade him for that.

But I don’t know why he’s complaining about his role… the Vikings put him in position to be league MVP. Then he got hurt. It’s all about the $$$, folks. Anyone hear Clay Matthews complaining about his rookie contract?

I would not be surprised if the Vikes draft EJ Manuel, Landry Jones, or Mike Glennon this year. Any success the Vikes enjoyed was a product of their defense and AP and not Ponder. He is legitimately the worst QB in the NFC, if not the league. The Vikes need to move on. At a minimum, they need to make him earn the job.

rightwingguy says: Eli manning Aaron Rodgers and Peyton all played like crap the first couple yrs. While I’m not saying Ponder is these guys but at least give him a chance. He and Adrian did lead the Vikes to the playoffs last year without Percy in case everyone forgot. I like Percy a lot, but he’s Seattle’s headache now. Seattle got fleeced in that trade. He will be happy maybe one yr.

It’s a little early to definitively judge whether Ponder is the answer at QB for MN. He didn’t play great all the time his first 2 years, part of that is to be expected with learning a new system and new terminology, as well as getting used to the speed of playing in the NFL.

The Vikes spent a lot on Ponder, so they understandably are giving him and Musgrave 1 more year of consistency to see what they have. They want Ponder to know they are 100% behind him so he can just play and doesn’t also have to worry about looking over his shoulder every week. This is the right call.

If, after this year, Ponder STILL doesn’t show any improvement then MN can start to decide if they need to pursue other options at QB. With them spending a 1st round pick on him, it’s good to give him 1 more year in the same system with the same OC and same playbook, and let him know he’s the unquestioned starter so he can focus on improving.

I only hope that having now traded Harvin, the Vikings show some restraint in how they tackle the WR position. We don’t need to get “jumpy” in Free Agency, as it’s not like we’re just a good player away from the Superbowl. Bill Polian made a very good suggestion, one that I’m hopeful that Speilman will heed. Sign a second tier receiver for now, (Jennings due to his age), then use the two first round picks on defense, and some of the other picks for WR’s. Neither Patterson, nor Allen are, in my opinion, any better than late 1st or early 2nd round options, in any other year than this one, and the difference between them and the rest of the WR’s in the draft is minimal.

I wonder how much public complaining he really did? Can’t find much except press blogs. He was a bad teammate? Can’t find much except a few comments in blogs. Heated confrontation with coach? Yes; frustrated and shouldn’t happen but demonstrates competitiveness.

If he is as bad as some of you want to make out you can bet he either changes or will be quickly moved by the Seattle front office. They have gotten rid of others that weren’t right for their locker room.

Odds are this will be a good trade but only time will tell. Right now, I’m excited.

^This. A lot of the controversy surrounding Percy seemed overblown. He has never badmouthed anyone publicly or criticized the team publicly or demonstrated anything close to T.O.-type team-cancer behavior. But the fact that the Vikes traded him must mean that he was more trouble than they felt he was worth–which is a lot, because he is one hell of a player.

As a Vikes fan, I am bummed to see Percy go, because he is one of the most exciting players in the league and plays the game like a beast. But I have enough trust that Spielman and Frazier know what they are doing, and I hope they have as good a draft this year as they did last year. Ponder looked great at times last year, terrible at other times, so it’s tough to know how he will turn out, but at least Spielman and Frazier seem to have a plan. I wish Percy good luck and hope he does well with Seattle.

Funny how this post or any article doesn’t quote any Viking team member or front office leadership. The Ponder bashing has never let up, but if any of you bashers care to look, you’ll see Ponder went 5-2 after Harvin was done, just about all of his passing statistics were better too. I think Ponder’s problem early on last season, wsas he4 was conflicted between making sure Percy got his touches and so did Peterson. I think once Percy was shut down, Ponder was able to take what the defense gave him in regards to the passing game. A lot of those games he involved quite a few receivers, and I will also note that outside of Percy, our WRs hands were an issue last year.

As a packer fan, id love to make fun of the vikings, but i cant here. they got a pretty good deal for harvin. If theres a wide receiver in the league who has the right to complain about qbs, its larry fitzgerald.

Comparing any other WR to Fitzgerald is crazy, the guy is loyal no mater what PLUS he’s getting paid VERY WELL to be on a garbage team and be the only star. Sometimes you need a change in life and it is what it is.

Christian Ponder is an easy target for most people because of how amazing AD was this year. AD deserves all the praise he got, but as Kevin Seifert pointed out the games were usually decided by Ponder. Ponder did have a god awful stretch that ended with his worst pro game in Green Bay. But after that he turned his game around and helped lead the Vikings to the playoffs. Not saying he is the second coming of Brett Favre but the guy has potential to be a better than average QB with his accuracy and decision making.

It’s like these so called Vikings fans forget the 4 game winning streak at the end of the season was WITH PONDER and WITHOUT HARVIN. I’m pretty sure Ponder played great in the Houston game to get us the win and picked up the slack where AD finally couldn’t, and he had 234 yds, 3 TDs and 0 picks in the GB game to get us to the postseason. We had over 450 yards of offense that game. Vikings offense was 14th in the league in scoring for the year, and that was Ponder’s second year. Russell better just keep getting better every year otherwise its going to be the same scenario (although he’s getting paid now so hopefully that will shut him up). Percy’s numbers were the best with Ponder. Not favre, not mcnabb, not tjax, or anyone we threw in there in his time here.

Has it ever occurred to people that maybe he just wants the best chance to win and sees what MN management can’t see that that’s not gonna happen with Ponder. Granted, he’s handled it with immense immaturity, but i truly think this guy just wants to win and won’t complain if he only gets 60 catches all next year and Seattle goes 12-4.

To all of you saying Harvin has no class blah blah Larry Fitz never complained blah blah thats horse crap. He was frustrated and he has a right to comment on his peers performance just like they do his. Its not about class, its reality. Christian Ponder sucks that is a fact.

Percy NEVER said anything about Ponder PUBLICLY just so you know.

Now what if Percy wins a Superbowl with Seattle? Do you still blame Percy? What will all of you praising Fitzgerald for not speaking up/wanting out say?

i can hear the haters now “Fitzgerald was the classiest guy EVER” while Harvin and Wilson are holding up the Lombardi.

Bottom Line: Good for Percy for doing whats best for his career and leaving a non playoff team for a Superbowl bound team. Had he trashed Ponder publicly, i would have nothing to say.

If Percy did say, out loud, that “Ponder was not good enough,” he was right. But younger guys usually aren’t wise enough yet to keep their negative opinions to themselves. Father Flanagan will sit him down and have a good, long chat with Percy, and Harvin will be showing up to choir practice with a big winning smile on his face and a ring or two on his fingers in short order. Go Hawks!

I get a kick out of all the Seahawks are now the Super Bowl favorites. How Pete Carroll is a genius. How their GM is the best in the business. Isn’t this the team that signed Flynn as QB last year only to bench him and his 8 million dollar salary? Is this the same Seahawks leadership that led them to a 7-9 records the previous two seasons? So they had a nice draft the past two years and they had a nice record this year, but go ahead and annoint them has the Super Bowl favorite now, and watch the disappointment when they have to play on the road.

It’s no coincidence that no one in the Vikings organization wants their name on this information. They’re bad-mouthing a player on his way out of town to make the trade easier to sell to the fan base. The Boston Red Sox do this all the time.

It is kind of amazing that the Vikings went 10-6 and made the playoffs with their 2nd best player openly complaining about the starting QB for half the season. Ponder played better once Percy was out.

It is possible that Ponder is better off with a balanced and more standard run/pass playbook as opposed to having all that gimmicky stuff to execute with Harvin. It is also probably easier to play when one of the team leaders isn’t openly lobbying for you to be cut.

Well whatever. Even though I loved Harvin and hated Ponder’s play most of last season I still say good riddance. You need to have your QB’s back. His BS probably set this team’s chemistry back now too because people will associate the QB with Harvin leaving.

At least in Seattle the team adores Westbrook and Harvin won’t have a leg to stand on if that dude struggles.

I am not a fan of either team. It amazes me how people pull crap out of thin air. Look at the numbers. Percy had better numbers the last 2 years with Ponder than he had with Favre. On the other side, for those of you that say Percy is always hurt. In his 4 year career he has played 15 games, 14 games, 16 games, and 9 games. As far as Ponder is concerned, his QBR was in the middle of the league, ahead of Joe Flacco by the way. I am not saying he is better than Flacco by any stretch, but he is not as bad as you all try to make him out to be. He was also #21 in passer rating, which was higher than Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck. Percy is just another in a long line of WR divas!

This still comes down to some undeniable truths. No matter how much the Vikings wanted to keep Harvin, it wasn’t going to happen, so long as Harvin didn’t want to be here. Once everyone gets that part of the story straight, the rest of it is easy. The Vikings handled this perfectly, got good, perhaps even great compensation for Harvin, and Harvin gets a chance to refresh his career. Both sides win. It doesn’t matter who said what, or what precipitated it.

rightwingguy says:
Mar 12, 2013 1:04 PM
Eli manning Aaron Rodgers and Peyton all played like crap the first couple yrs. While I’m not saying Ponder is these guys but atleast give him a chance. He and Adrian did lead the Vikes to the playoffs last year without Percy in case everyone forgot. I like Percy alot, but he’s Seattles headache now. Seattle got fleeced in that trade. He will be happy maybe one yr.

12 11
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Really?

Show me a bad year that Aaron Rodgers had as a starter. I’ll be waiting.

Aaron Rodger fan boys are so annoying. Ask Cutler, Romo, Ben, Vick, Carr, Stafford, HELL ANY QB nowadays. All teams are struggling trying to find lineman to keep up with the new age of pass rushers and better Defensive schemes.

that d and team in ’09, running a HOF QB out of town (GM trusted him, gave him his shot) so you can start? best all around receiving corp in the league last 4 years? Life is so unfair for poor Aaron.

I get a kick out of all the Seahawks are now the Super Bowl favorites. How Pete Carroll is a genius. How their GM is the best in the business. Isn’t this the team that signed Flynn as QB last year only to bench him and his 8 million dollar salary?

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Some fans are clueless. After the Superbowl that just past Seattle was already one of the favorites without Harvin along with Bronco’s-49ers-Ravens. Don’t believe me check up the odds in Vegas. Seattle has drafted and put together the top rated defense and found special QB in Wilson in the 3rd- top rookie pass rusher in 1st and star MLB Bobby Wagner in 2nd while in 2 years rebuilding. John Schneider was only behind Colts GM in voting who had Andrew Luck fall to them at 1st overall. Throw in Sherman 5th round- Big Kam at 4th- bringing in All Pro Lynch for late round picks. Yeah PC/JS are doing just fine.

As a Viking fan I don’t blame Harvin. I blame the front office for not trying to upgrade the most important position on the team which is the QB. Now they are looking for a QB with the mindset of knowing he will be backing up Ponder. Now why would you want a QB that is okay with that? I want one that wants to compete for a job which is exactly what the Vikings should be doing. Forcing a competition.

Harvin complained to his front office. He never did it publicly so there is no reason to be upset at him. He does his job and does it well. I don’t blame him for being frustrated because he’s a competitor and wants to win.

Receivers are replaceable. Easily replaceable. Sure Harvin will have an element of wow to him but it doesn’t mean he is a Super Bowl changer. The quarterback is the only position that matters if your team direction changes.